Who's Calling the Shots? The Kids, of Course!

This is the week for children's pics. Thursday, I'll be taking the two week photos of grandson, Micah, and the four month pics of grandson, Benjamin. If all goes well, I'll also be taking pictures of the two of them together. The nine month photos of the Maloney twins, Matthew and Nathan, are due this weekend. How did they get so old?!

Every time I take children's pictures, the role of director is reversed. They call the shots. The child or children dictate how much time is needed to get just the right pictures. On the other hand, take too much time and tears are usually the result. When a child isn't feeling well, smiles are rare. A child's health and mood determine the story in the photo. Shyness or a refusal to smile, except to grimace like the Grinch who stole Christmas, isn't unusual.

On New Year's Eve, I had the privilege of taking photos of my friend, Teri, and her two granddaughters, Zaidon who is three, and Adrianna, five months old. We have been trying for months to find a time when the children were with Teri, one of them wasn't sick and the weather would permit the drive from the peninsula to Puyallup. On top of that, Zaidon had decided to cut her own hair which resulted in her "mullet do" as Teri called it. 

The day finally arrived along with lots of outfit changes, diapers, bottles and happy meals to keep up the energy. Zaidon decided she wanted to wear a princess outfit I have on hand with a crown, jewelry and a fancy skirt. She wasn't interested in being a fairy princess with wings. But once in front of the camera, Zaidon had her own ideas about her poses - which I love. I would never have thought to ask her to put her hand through her belt when doing her "model" pose. How cute is that!

Zaidon wasn't interested in smiling for the camera. But while grandma was changing Adrianna, she decided to run back and forth in front of the backdrop, mugging for me as she got to each side of the room. I was able to capture some "backstage" smiles. And when we were eating ice cream and visiting upstairs in my kitchen afterward, there were lots of smiles and laughter, but no camera.

Adrianna was another story. I caught her at just the right time. She was dry, had just finished her bottle and was all smiles. What a sweetie! However, the "melt your heart moments" were captured when Zaidon was pointing to the heart on Adrianna's shirt and then to the heart on her own. These two lovely girls do have a heart bond for each other - and a grandma who helps keep that link strong. 

For more pictures of kids who called the shots, click on the link to my photography web site, BonnieKingPhotography.com